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Evette Soto of Orlando hopes small donations can help her achieve dream of opening Kitchen Solvers franchise

After two decades in the Navy, Evette Soto of Orlando is trying to achieve her dream of business ownership by buying a Kitchen Solvers franchise — but she needs a little help raising money to start the business.

Financing is a familiar hurdle for any aspiring entrepreneur, but Evette may have found the solution: a program called “Boost a Hero,” which helps veterans raise money to start franchise businesses. The program is run by an Orlando company called Sprigster, which wants to give Americans a tangible and long-lasting way to thank veterans for their heroism and sacrifice.

Sprigster’s “Boost a Hero” program works like a Kickstarter campaign: Veterans post videos explaining their backgrounds and the businesses they want to start. For 90 days, people can donate as much as they want or as little as $1. Evette hopes to raise $50,000. Her video is at http://bit.ly/Sf5ccL.

Evette has a passion for and a degree in interior design and wanted to own a business. She was looking for a business that would allow her to put her passion for design to work. She learned about Kitchen Solvers and “Boost a Hero” while researching financing options for veterans.

Sprigster CEO Mark Mohler says “Boost A Hero” addresses a huge problem: unemployment among veterans. Of the veterans who have served since 2001, 12.1 percent were unemployed as of May — compared to the overall U.S. rate of 8.3 percent.

Evette Soto hopes to raise $50,000 to start a Kitchen Solvers franchise, using a new crowdfunding site for veterans.

Mark says that veterans’ skill sets often don’t translate well into résumés, even though they have a wealth of experience, discipline and leadership skills. Mark has previously used microlending to help people in poor countries become successful farmers. As he looked for ways to help America’s heroes, he realized the franchising was already hard at work lending a hand.

Kitchen Solvers, for instance, discounts franchise fees for veterans as part of the International Franchise Association’s VetFran program, which has partnered with Sprigster to promote the “Boost a Hero” crowdfunding effort.

Veterans have thrived in franchise systems, and franchise systems have thrived thanks to the hard work and skills of the veterans who have joined us.

Mark appreciated the franchise industry’s track record and also liked the fact that, since franchise companies are regulated by the FTC, he didn’t have to worry about veterans being targeted by bad business schemes. Franchises have solid business models, support for franchise owners, and a history of success.

Evette, who served from 1983 to 2003, likes that Kitchen Solvers focuses on a niche within interior design. As a former real estate agent, she knows that kitchen remodels are popular and that homeowners benefit from having an expert to guide them.